Each of us occasionally feels anxious, lonely, and angry sometimes all at once. We label these as “difficult” emotions because they are uncomfortable and because they often feel unmanageable and confusing. But when we learn to understand and work through these feelings, they can guide us into deeper self-understanding.

Because symptoms of depression often include confusion and a sense of humiliation, and because there still remains a social stigma attached to those who admit to the condition, many people who suffer depression wind up feeling as if they’re weak or morally defective. Fortunately, depression is one of the most treatable diseases around when taken seriously.

Nostalgia for Christmases past can sometimes make our current holiday practices seem lacking. Children now grown with families of their own, loved ones who’ve passed, relatives scattered across the country and unable to be together. There are many reasons one might view yesteryears Christmases more fondly. But CareNotes author Karen Katafiasz reminds readers that their best Christmases are not behind them.